Theodore Dreiser wrote the novel Sister Carrie. It's about a poor, timid girl who moves to Chicago to live with her sister and find work. She tries a couple of jobs but they don't seem to work out. She meets a man named Chas H. Drouet who charms her with his stylish clothes and money on the train. He offers to buy her an apartment and new clothing that she couldn't afford on her own. Through Drouet she meets George Hurstwood who is also very wealthy and influential. Hurstwood was a married man but Carrie did not know that and fell in love with him.
Carrie and Hurstwood began meeting with each other in secret when Drouet was out of town on business. The more they met with each other the more they fell in love. Carrie begins to see the differences between Drouet and Hurstwood. She notices that Hurstwood is more attentive to her and what she wants but Drouet is more self-centered and interested in what will help him advance in social status. One day Drouet accepts a favor from a friend to find a female actor to perform in his play. Drouet kept forgetting about the favor and couldn't find someone in time so he asks Carrie to do the play. Thus beginning her career as an actor.
During this time, America is just beginning to develop factories that allow women to work. The main mode of transportation was early inventions of cars and usually the richer people were the ones who used them. Most people walked to their destinations. Most women didn't go anywhere without an escort of some sort. Alot of the women wore fancy gowns that covered their ankles and the more fancier they were the more expensive they were. Everyone in the upper class wore really fancy and expensive clothes and the people in the lower class wore less expensive clothes. The clothing is a symbol of social status.
At this time in America, it would have been heavily frowned upon for a single, young woman to be assosiated with a married man. That would be frowned upon no matter if they were just friends or "together." And for the young lady to have interest in him wether she knew he was married or not would just be outrageous.
Carrie and Hurstwood began meeting with each other in secret when Drouet was out of town on business. The more they met with each other the more they fell in love. Carrie begins to see the differences between Drouet and Hurstwood. She notices that Hurstwood is more attentive to her and what she wants but Drouet is more self-centered and interested in what will help him advance in social status. One day Drouet accepts a favor from a friend to find a female actor to perform in his play. Drouet kept forgetting about the favor and couldn't find someone in time so he asks Carrie to do the play. Thus beginning her career as an actor.
During this time, America is just beginning to develop factories that allow women to work. The main mode of transportation was early inventions of cars and usually the richer people were the ones who used them. Most people walked to their destinations. Most women didn't go anywhere without an escort of some sort. Alot of the women wore fancy gowns that covered their ankles and the more fancier they were the more expensive they were. Everyone in the upper class wore really fancy and expensive clothes and the people in the lower class wore less expensive clothes. The clothing is a symbol of social status.
At this time in America, it would have been heavily frowned upon for a single, young woman to be assosiated with a married man. That would be frowned upon no matter if they were just friends or "together." And for the young lady to have interest in him wether she knew he was married or not would just be outrageous.